BASEMENT DIG OUT

Looking to have a basement dug a couple o

hsclmtsrklvji

in Brownstoner Renovation 6 years and 2 months ago

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mimimaloo | 12 years and 2 months ago

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Hello All, We are presently remodeling our Parlour level… and planning a part 2 project of extending the back of our house some 7 feet to accommodate a new Master Bedroom on the Garden Level. While we’re there… spending all this money… we’d like to dig down and enlarge the basement to both extend and lower the floor… and also add 2 egress window wells. We already have some sort of small (32×26-ish) well-opening (maybe an old coal slide?) with a decrepit window. Has anyone recently had this done? What was your experience? Has anyone ever extended their basement as well… or dug it out? Does anyone know a reliable and responsible contractor or engineer who has actually done this? I’ve looked around on Angie’s List, here on Brownstoner… and asked around locally, where I see work being done; I’m running into a lot of BS artists. Often online testimony turns out to be somebody’s cousin. I’m a bit stuck and could use some reliable advice!

BobMarvin | 12 years and 2 months ago

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Before starting your dig READ THESE THREADS  about the near disaster at 329 and 331 MacDonough Street a few years ago and beware! http://brownstoner.staging.wpengine.com/building_collap/page/3/

brucef | 12 years and 2 months ago

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This definitely a case of … Imperial entanglements. The rear foundation wall underpins your upper rear wall. Be prepared for the structural engineer consult to go to town requiring double seam welded channel iron performed by a certified welder and signed off by…your new favorite consulting professional, your structural engineer. The new extension walls will require elaborate footing. Your plan seems obvious, just triggers a whole bunch of headaches. Time to go back to the drawing board, sorry. While you’re at it, mention to your structural engineer that you are planning to excavate the basement, possibly exposing the footings for the foundation walls. His eyes will spin around showing dollar signs just like a one armed bandit in Atlantic City. This makes two days in a row venting on engineers. That’s why they pay us the big bucks.

backeast | 12 years and 2 months ago

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Hi – we looked into digging down in our basement as part of a larger renovation but decided against it due in part to cost. I would suggest getting yourselves a really good structural engineer – you will need one on Part II of your project anyhow (along with an architect of course). I recommend the structural engineer we’ve used – he’s very thorough – Peter Garland. PE, D’Huy Engineering

mimimaloo | 12 years and 2 months ago

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Is there anyone out there that has actually dug out their basement? I’d really like to hear from them.

anotherposter | 12 years and 2 months ago

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We dug down and finished the cellar in 2012\.  As others have said, it’s a lot of work and not cheap or fast, but we like the results (did it all to code, archtects, engineers, etc.)  You can email me at upthestoop at gmail.

Bond | 12 years and 2 months ago

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There are a lot of unanswered questions that any contractor is going to want to ask before taking this on.  I have either done, or supervised the digging out or adding on of several up cellar additions. It’s not the most difficult thing is the world if taken step by step with appropriate planning.  I’d be happy to share my experiences with you if you would like (I don’t take on outside work, so I consider myself relatively unbiased). If you want, provide contact information and I will shoot you an email rather than have a long, winding thread here.

mimimaloo | 12 years and 2 months ago

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thanks pig three. I read the article… and you have a valid response. I was a bit afraid to voice what you did… so thanks. I do appreciate the link… but I actually know what I am doing to a certain extent. And what I do not, I will educate myself. I’m quite careful about things that involve heavy timbers over my head. We are not going near the party walls. We are I and H beaming the whole enchilada. I’m in search of somoeone who has gone throught this. I’m a rare type who learns from other’s mistakes I’m not going to end up on the evening news… at least not for this.

teepeeteee | 12 years and 2 months ago

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I have refinished two raw basements in two separate bronwstones.  The first one was for our three family in Park Slope in 2006\.  It was a 16′ wide / 50′ deep home we purchased in 2006\.  The basement ceilings were about 6′.  We wanted a usable finished basement but since i am 5’10” were only looking for another 1′ of clearance.  We had a limited budget and talked to a bunch of different contractors and went with the cheapest guy.  I’m sure that makes a lot of people here and professionals in the industry roll their eyes but it worked out well for us.  Our contractor, Rosul Contracting, dug out the floor laid new cement and ceramic floor tiles, sheetrocked the walls & ceiling, added a new wood stairway, new light fixtures and a few other items for about $20k, significantly less than the other quotes.  I was skeptical, but they did a great job, quickly with no overages.   We moved to Cobble Hill in 2012 and were looking to renovate 2 floors + basement.  This place was about 18′ x 65′ but 1/4 was already finished.  For this basement the ceiling height was good, so we just had them take up the existing cement floor which was in poor condition and lay down a new one, cement the walls and apply some special coating (can’t remember the name of) and install a new steel stairway.  We also had them do a lot of other stuff in the two floors above.  The basement costs were very reasonable at around $15-$18k.  Honestly, i would not use them again for upstairs finish type work because they are not great with final details, but definitely endorse them for basements or renovating rental units.    Tell them Pete referred you.